Gas scrubbing apparatus



M 3,. 11932. K. s. VALENTINE 1,356{m@ GAS SCHUBBING APPARATUS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 24, 1929 nu Ill-C M 1% K. s. VALENTINE1,856,120

GAS SGRUBBING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 24. 1929 L ma gm ggPatented May 3, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KENNETH S. VALENTINE,OF HOLIiIS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOIR TO THE TURBQ-MIXER CORPORATION, OF NEWYORK, N. Y., .A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK GAS SCBUBIBING APPARATUSApplication filed October 24, 1929. Serial No; 402,001.

My invention relates to gas and liquid contact apparatus such asabsorbers, gas scrubhers, wash towers, etc.

The principal object is to provide a relatively small and compactapparatus for very effective contact of the gas with the scrubbing orother liquid, and delayed flow and protracted circulation of the gas incontact with the liquid; or as otherwise described the apparatusprovides a very long course of travel of the gas in proportion to itssize or area, with correspondingly eifective scrubhing, cleansing, etc.of the gas and complete utilization of the active materials or qualitiesof the wash liquid.

To these ends, the apparatus consists, in brief, of a tank havingpartitions separating it into a plurality of compartments, with centralapertures in the partitions, rotary circulating or impelling devices inor adjacent the apertures, and deflecting means or blades at theapertures, together with suitable ports for supply and discharge ofliquid and gas. lhe impellers are preferably carried by a common shaft,which has means foraxial adjustment, whereby the positions of theimpellers in relation to the compartments or partitions may be varied,to provide different circulating conditions or effects. By the action ofthe impellers in cooperation with the various compartments, the movementof gas through the tank is retarded, and the gas is caused to circulatethrough a long course in contact with the liquid in each compartment, sothat the total length of gas travel is extensive in proportion to thesize of the apparatus.

The apparatus, including some or all of the essential features brieflyreferred to above, is capable of various modes of use, as suflicientlyexplained below. r

The characteristics and advantages of the invention are furthersufficiently explained in connection with the following detaildescription of the accompanying drawings, which show one representativeembodiment. lifter considering this example, skilled persons willunderstand that many variations may be made without departing from theprinciples disclosed and l contemplate the employment of any structuresthat are properly within the scope of the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of apparatus embodying the invention in oneform.

Fig. 2 is a section at 2-2, Fig. 1.

A suitable tank 1, preferably a vertical, cylindrical tank as shown, isprovided with a plurality of transverse partitions 2 dividing it intocompartments 3. Communication between the compartments is provided bycentral apertures 4 in the partitions. For supply and discharge of gasand liquid I provide any or all of the ports or pipes 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9,these usually communicating with the upper and lower tank compartments.The vertical driving shaft 10 at the tank axis carries a plurality ofrotary bladed impellers 11 of a suitable or known type. Specifically, asshown, these are duplex impellers of the turbo type, including upper andlower annular directing plates 12, and approximately tangential, curvedimpelling blades 13 which connects the plates to hubs 14 which arefixedly mounted on the shaft. The shaft has any known or suitabledriving means such as the motor and gearing 15, and means such as 16 bywhich it may be vertically adjusted to simultaneously position theimpellers at different levels in relation to the partitions 2. At eachpartition aperture 4, I provide up per and lower annular series ofdeflector blades 17 curved, and approximately tangen- .tially arranged,as shown in Fig. 2, and which act to deflect materialtangentiallydischarged, by the impellers and cause such material to flowsubstantially radially toward the tank wall.

For certain purposes, I may also provide a stand-pipe or gas dischargecolumn 18 com- -municating at its bottom with the lower tankcompartment, the communication port 19 being preferably of relativelylarge area, as shown. This stand-pipe may be omitted in some cases, orif provided and not used, may

be rendered inoperative as by valve 20locat-" ed above the liquid levelor at some other point such as 21. Imay also prov de in some cases abypass connection or pipe 22,

connectingxthe lower and upper tanl; oom

partments. If necessary or desirable, this by-pass conduit may berendered inoperative by one or more valves such as 23, 24.

When the discharge pipe or port 9 is used for liquid discharge it may beguarded by a shield or hood 25.

In normal operation the tank including all of the compartments is filledwith liquid up to a level in the upper compartment which issubstantially above the upper partition 2 or about as indicated by theline 30, Fig. 1.

The apparatus may be operated in several ways. In one preferred mode ofoperation, the wash liquid, such for example as caustic soda, issupplied to the tank through one of the upper ports or pipes, such aspipe 6. The gas may be supplied through pipe 8 and discharged throughpipe 5. If the sup ly or flow of liquids is to be constant, liquid maybe discharged through pipe 9 and when the liquid is thus constantlycirculated, the described arrangement or mode of operation provides forcounterflow of the gas and liquid. The impellers are positionedsubstantially as shown in Fig. 1, that is, so that they draw liquid andgas into their intake openings from both upper and lower c0m- Ipartments, and discharge a minor portion of the gas and liquid above therespective partitions, or into the adjacent upper compartments, and amajor portion of the gas and liquid below the partitions, or into theadjacent lower compartments. The tangential .eflow is interrupted by thedeflectors 17, and the material is caused to flow substantially radiallytoward the tank wall in courses approximately indicated by arrows, and aportion of the material in each compartment is drawn upward into theintake of the upper impeller while a portion is drawn into the intake ofthe lower impeller. In this way, the gas and liquid is repeatedly andrapidly circulated in each compartment and the gas flow is retarded, andthe gas travel from intake to outlet points is extremely long,especially since in the desired mode of operation, the gas travelsupwanLand is retarded and recirculated in each compartment by therelative downward flow of the wash liquid from one compartment toanother. The total height or other dimensions of the tank may thereforebe made very small in relation to the volume of gas and wash liquidhandled in unit time.

In another mode of operation, parallel flow of the gas and liquid may beprovided. Thus. gas may be supplied at 8 and discharged at 5 while theliquid is supplied at 9 and discharged at port 7.

By another method, gas may be'supplied at 5 and liquid either at 6 forparallel flow or at 9 for counterflow of the gas and liquid. In thiscase, with any small pressure on the gas supply, it will be forceddownward through the liquid with delayed and repeated and protractedcirculation in the compartments, as above described, and will flow outthrough port 19 and up through the liquid in stand pipe 18 to anysuitable receiving point, valve 20 or 21 being in this case, of

the liquid will be forced into and up in stand pipe 18 to 'a level abovethe upper level in the tank, depending on the pressure head exerted onthe liquid and usually the liquid will not rise in the stand pipe morethan about six to eight feet, with the maximum pressure which can beexerted by the impellers in practical operation. The gas will then passout through the stand pipe above the liquid therein to any desired pointof collection or utilization.

It will be understood that when the tank is substantially filled withliquid, as is preferred, it is largely immaterial at what points theliquid is supplied and discharged, since, if a by-pass connection suchas 22 is provided, provision is made for circulation of the liquidgenerally throughout the tank and in either direction, depending on theadjusted position of the impellers.

In any case, if liquid flow is not constant, that is, if there is nocontinuous supply and discharge of liquid to and from the tank, propercirculation of liquid through the tank may be provided by the by-passconduit 22, through which a portion of the liquid may flow from thelower to the upper compartment, or vice versa, depending on the generaldirection of liquid flow in the tank, as

controlled by the position of the impellers.

The direction of liquid flow in the tank and the retardation of flow orextent of recirculation in the different compartments,

may be regulated and controlled by the position of the impellers.

Various other modes of operation will be apparent to skilled personswithout further detailed explanation.

Desirably, the by-pass pipe or conduit 22 I communicates with the lowercompartment of the tank at the bottom thereof, and has below the levelof the tank bottom a U-bend 22a, forming a gas trap so that the by-passprovides for proper movement of liquid while practically preventingmovement of gases from the lower to the upper portion of the tank.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the classdescribed, comprising a tank normally filledwith liquid from the bottom to a point near the top and having aplurality of communicating compartments, a plurality of impellersadjacent the respective compartments, means for driving the impellers,and means for supplying and discharging liquid and gas, and a stand pipecommunicating with the lower compartment and extending above the tankliquid level.

2. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a tank normally tilledwith liquid from the bottom to a point near the top and having aplurality of communicating compartments, a plurality of impellersadjacent the respective compartments, means for driving the impellers,and means for supplying and discharging liquid and gas, and a liquidby-pass conduit connecting upper and lower compartments.

8. Scrubbing or analogous apparatus comprising a tank. a plurality ofcentrally-apertured partitions dividing the tank into a series ofcompartments, a shaft passing axially through the tank and apertures,impellers on the shaft, and means for adjusting the shaft axially tovary the positions of the impellers upward or downward in and throughthe partition apertures in relation to the par titions and compartmentsand so to control circulation and flow of the materials.

4. Scrubbing or analogous apparatus comprising a tank normally filledwith liquid from the bottom to a point near the top and a plurality ofcentrally-apertured partitions dividing the tank into a series ofcompartments, a shaft passing axially through the tank and apertures,impellers on the shaft, and a stand pipe communicating with the lowercompartment and extending above the tank liquid level.

5. Scrubbing or analogous apparatus comi prising a tank, a plurality ofcentrally-apertured partitions dividing the tank into a series ofcompartments, a shaft passing axially through the tank, impellers on theshaft and locatable within the partition apertures to discharge materialin a cross axial plane approximate to the partition plane, and stationary detlectin g blades on the partitions and adjacent their apertures,and means for adjusting the shaft axially to vary the positions of theimpellersin relation to the partitions and compartments and so tocontrol circulation and flow of the materials.

6. Scrubbing or analogous apparatus comprising a tank having partitionsdividing it into a series of compartments, means for producingcirculation and mixing of gas and liquids, and a by-pass conduit forcircuitous movement of liquid throughout the tank and by-pass, from thebottom to the top of the tank or vice versa, said bypass conduitconnecting an upper compartment with the bottom of the lower compartmentand having a U-bend below the level of the bottom of the lowercompartment and forming a gas trap.

7. Multiple mixing or scrubbing apparatus comprising a tank havinghorizontal, centrally-apertured partitions defining superposedconipartments communicating through the apertures, the tank beingadapted to be normally filled with liquid from the bottom to asubstantial elevation in the upper compartment, a shaft passing throughthe compartment apertures, and impellers on the shaft, each beingadapted for normal location substantially within one of the partitionapertures and to discharge material peripherally in a plane adjacentthat of the partition, the impellers thus providing for continuousrecirculating flow within the variation compartments, and means forsupplying and discharging gas and liquid from the tank.

8. Multiple mixing or scrubbing apparatus comprising a tank havinghorizontal, centrally-apertured partitions defining superposedcompartments communicating through the apertures, the tank being adaptedto be normally filled with liquid from the bottom to a substantialelevation in the upper compartment, a shaft passing through thecompartment apertures, and impellers on the shaft, each being adaptedfor normal location substantially within one of the partition aperturesand to discharge material peripherally in a plane adjacent that of thepartition, the impellers thus providing for continuous recirculatingflow within the various compartments, means for supplying anddischarging gas and liquid to and from the tank, and deflector blades onthe partitions substantially at their apertures to direct sub stantiallyradially material discharged by the impellers.

9. The structure defined in claim 7 with the addition of means foradjusting the shaft axially and thus variably positioning the impellersin relation to the partitions and to discharge material more or lessinto either of the two compartments adjacent each partition, and therebyalso to control the generalkdirection of material fiow through the tan10. The structure defined in claim 8 with the addition of means foradjusting the shaft axially and thus variably positioning the impellersin relation to the partitions and to discharge material more or lessinto either of the two compartments adjacent each partition, and therebyalso to control the general direction of material through the tank.

11. Multiple mixing or scrubbing apparatus comprising a tank havinghorizontal, centrally-apertured partitions defining superposedcompartments communicating through the apertures, the tank being adaptedto be normally filled with liquid from the bottom to a substantialelevation in the upper compartment, a shaft passing through thecompartment apertures, and impellers on the 5 shaft, each being adaptedfor normal location substantially within one of the partition aperturesand to discharge material peripherally in a plane adjacent that of thepartition, the impellers thus providing for continuous recirculatingflow within the variation compartments, means for supplying gas, andmeans for discharging gas from the bottom compartment, said meanscomprising a conduit connected to the lower compartment and extending toa level substantially above the liquid level in the upper compartment,and means for supplying liquid to the tank.

12. Multiple mixing or scrubbing apparago tus comprising a tank havinghorizontal, centrally apertured partitions defining superposedcompartments communicating through the apertures, the tank being adaptedto be normally filled with liquid from the bottom 5 to a substantialelevation in the upper compartment, a shaft passing through thecompartment apertures, and impellers on the shaft, each being adaptedfor normal location substantially within one of the partition aperturesand to discharge material peripherally in a plane adjacent that of thepartition, the impellers thus providing for continuous recirculatingflow within the various compartments, means for supplying and 5discharging gas and liquid to and from the tank, and a liquid by-passconduit connecting the lower and upper compartments.

13. Multiple mixing or scrubbing'apparatus comprising a tank havinghorizontal, cen- 40 trally-apertured partitions defining superposedcompartments communicating through the apertures, the tank being adaptedto be normally filled with liquid from the bottom to a substantialelevation in the upper compartment, a shaft passing through thecompartment apertures, and impellers on the shaft, each being adaptedfor normal location substantially within one of the partition aperturesand to discharge material peripherally in a plane adjacent that of thepartition, the impellers thus providing for continuous recirculatingflow within the various compartments, means for supplying anddischarging gas and liquid to and from the tank, and a liquid by-passconduit connecting the lower and upper compartments and including gastrapping means substantially preventing recirculation of gas through theby-pass. I

In testimony whereof I affix mysignature.

KENNETH S. VALENTINE.

